As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, Online Pitch Contests are everywhere these days! To help you keep track of the available contest opportunities, we’ll post a list each month of the upcoming contests we’ve heard about. We also have a Writing Contests Pinterest board, which we try to keep updated on all the contests we hear about, as long as the contest information is pinnable. (Check frequently, as some agents post writing contests on the spur of the moment with a 24-48 hour entry period, and you never know when such an opportunity might pop up.)

Please remember, not all contests are right for all people. Make sure to do your own research on each contest before deciding whether or not to throw your pitch into the ring! (Please read all rules before entering any contest!)

July 2013:

7/7-7/8: Pitchmas: Entries accepted from Sunday 7/7/13 at 9am PST until Monday 7/8 at 6pm PST. For a list of participating agents and editors, click here. All genres welcome.

7/9: Christmas in July Pitch Contest: Entries accepted from 6am to 6pm EDT. For a list of participating agents, and more detail on the rules, click here. Open to YA, MG, and NA submissions (all genres).

7/12: Pitchmas Twitter Pitch Party: Agents and editors will follow the hashtag #PitchMAS, reading your awesome pitches. ANYONE can participate, even if you didn’t make it into the 50 selected blog pitches for Pitchmas. However, your manuscript MUST BE COMPLETE. Twitter pitches MUST BE 140 Characters or Less, including the #PitchMas hashtag.

7/12: Like a Virgin Pitch Contest: For COMPLETE and ready-to-query manuscripts that have not been entered into ANY online pitch contests yet. The entry window opens at 6am EDT and closes when the first 50 entries are received. YA and NA only.

7/18: Writers and Illustrators First Page Critique: Call for illustrations AND for picture book first pages. Four first pages (either from your WIP or a page written using the illustration prompt on the blog) will be chosen for a critique. Illustrations submitted will be used on the blog for upcoming posts. Open to PB writers and illustrators.

7/29: Greenhouse Funny Prize: Submit the first 5,000 words PLUS a short description (a few lines) of the book AND a one page outline that shows the spine of the plot. If you’re submitting a picture book (or shorter fiction that comes in under 5,000 words), then send the complete text. Open to all FUNNY stories – PB, MG, YA.

7/31: Cheerios New Author Contest: Entries must be received by 11:59pm Central Time. “The Cheerios® New Author Contest encourages aspiring authors to write and submit an original story for a book for children between the ages of 2 – 8 years old and their parents.” The contest is only open to people who have NEVER been published in the children’s market before. (This is not an online pitch contest. There is a link for entering on the website.) Picture Books only.

August 2013:

8/13-8/14: Write On Con: This isn’t actually a pitch contest (although there are opportunities to have your pitch seen by several agents and editors). It’s a FREE, annual, online writer’s conference!

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Published by Veronica Bartles

Veronica Bartles is a writer of children's books, from picture books to YA contemporary... anything with a happily-ever-after ending and an emphasis on finding beauty hidden in unlikely places. Her debut YA novel, TWELVE STEPS, was published by Swoon Romance 25 March 2014, and her debut picture book, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROGS, is coming Fall 2016 from Balzer & Bray / Harper Collins.
View all posts by Veronica Bartles